The Outsider is a different western. Why? It was written and directed by women and told from the perspective of the heroine Rebecca ( Naomi Watts). The best part of the movie is the cinematography and music that is excellent. One thing I do not agree with is the 9 and 10 star reviews here ( 7 is more accurate). In fact, I had seen it years ago, and forgot I did until watching again last night, that is how unimpressed I was with it. The concept is the same as Angel & The Bad Man with John Wayne and the much better looking then Naomi Watts, Gail Russell. For those unfamiliar with that movie it is about a religious woman who finds a wounded gunman ( here Johnny ( Tim Daly)) brings him back to her home and nurses him back to health and they fall in love. There are a couple of differences in the movies. Here Rebecca is a widow with a son who cannot speak because of the traumatic sight of seeing his father hung, and there Gail Russell was never married. The other difference is the family. Gail Russell's family supported her choosing John Wayne ( even know they are very religious Quakers and opposed to violence and sinful people), here Rebecca's family ( also very religious ( they called themselves "Plain People" like The Amish)) and opposed her even caring for Johnny. Rebecca and Johnny fall in love but Rebecca is threatened with expulsion from her family and the Plain People community unless she "Confesses Her Sins" and leaves Johnny. Spoilers ahead: She starts to but admits, she cannot "Lie to you, God, and myself" She runs after Johnny and then they get married. Of course there is another problem: The cattle baron who had her husband hung wants her land and he will stop at nothing to get it. Spoilers ahead: Like in Angel & The Bad Man Rebecca gets injured because of the bad guys trying to kill the hero. Of course, both Rebecca like Gail Russell survive, the bad guys are dealt with, and like John Wayne earlier, Johnny gets rid of his guns forever. Also because his mom lives and because of Johnny, her son can talk again, so obviously she made the right decision. Again a different western 7/10stars.
Review of The Outsider
